Salamanders can regrow entire limbs and regenerate parts of major organs, an ability that relies on their immune systems, research now shows.

A study of the axolotl, an aquatic salamander, reveals that immune cells called macrophages are critical in the early stages of regenerating lost limbs. Wiping out these cells permanently prevented regeneration and led to tissue scarring. The findings hint at possible strategies for tissue repair in humans.

My brother had his thumb cut off from an accident at a construction site. He was up on a ladder handling some cables (he’s an electrician) and, due to someone dropping something, the cables sped loose and took his thumb right with it.

Nah, his name is Larry. They couldn’t reattach the thumb. It was too messed up. He’s still working though. He had previously just gotten a promotion, and so now they sit him at a desk organizing and planning, and when he goes out he still manages to make it work. He didn’t sue.

His boss later told him “Well, at least now you can’t sit around with your thumb up your ***”! A friend of his also said “Hey, man, I wanna play thumb war with you!” The thumb incident led to great fun!

A few years after my mom died, I went through a box she had in her closet (yes, it took a few years) anyway, I found a hand-made card from a 8 year old me that I made for her when she was in the hospital with ovarian cancer back in the sixties.

It said “ Have A Happy Operation”. LOL!

I had no idea back then. But she kept it.

25
posted on 05/20/2013 8:28:24 PM PDT
by KittenClaws
(You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)

During that event and aftermath, the only unkind thing I did was when they had me strapped down and tubes down my throat and I was just coming out of the coma, and I woke up to CNN on the television.

I thought I had missed my destination and gone to Hell for a confused moment.

When I finally got their attention, I signalled that I wanted a pencil and they held a pad and I scrawled "TV EVIL!!!!" and the doc looked weird at me and told the nurse to turn off the TV. My brother laughed when the doc told him about it.

Otherwise, I tried to take as good care of the care staff as they took care of me. Being a problem patient wasn't going to get me better care, and they didn't deserve to get lashed at because I didn't feel well.

All the hilarious, typical Freeper gallows humor in the following threads. Outsatnding fun.

I live in a world full of geckos, who constantly lose tails to each other, my cats, doors, whatever.

Since a lot of them prefer to stay in their own little patch of turf, it is fascinating to see the tails grow back. They start out very stubby, but extend out and eventually achieve the same shape as the original. Only the coloring often does not match. Maybe they lost the color chip?

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